Kindergarten and Reading Readiness Class
Class Location
Your child's classes will be held in the child-safe, childcare room (well-stocked with toys) at the Reach Fitness gym Palo Alto at 707 High Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301 centrally located in downtown Palo Alto, around the corner from Whole Foods and Peet's (and not too far from Fraiche Frozen Yogurt!) I was referred to this convenient location by a member of the PAMP forum.
Parking
You will find street parking along High Street, and Reach Fitness has also, very kindly, allowed us to use their members-only parking lot for drop-off and pick-up.
The Magic Bag
Every class will feature a "magic bag" filled with objects and items that begin with the letter of the day. I often pick unexpected objects to help broaden the children's vocabulary. Before each class I will let you know the magic bag letter. The anticipation for this activity is a large part of the fun and helps children begin to think about letter sounds in an playful manner. If time allows, please engage your child briefly before class by telling him/her the letter of the day and asking him/her, "What do you think will be in the magic bag today?" Jokes are welcome. For example, if the letter of the day is B, ask your child, "Could a kangaroo be in the bag? Could a refrigerator be in the bag?" Your children may or may not be able to answer correctly. That is fine! Regardless of your child's response, laugh together about the possibilities.
Class Format
To help facilitate a focused yet relaxed classroom environment, I plan to structure the time in the following way:
Please, no pressure!
Even more than developing reading skills and tools for literacy, I plan to help the children build a life-long love of language and reading. They are still so young! I want the children to learn at their own pace, to feel free to make mistakes or offer incorrect answers. Their openness and sense of agency in the pre-literacy process is the key to our success! I have found that all children are very sensitive to external stresses about when they will begin to put sounds together or begin sight reading. This often creates unnecessary delays or power struggles. Please join me in allowing them to experience and acquire language skills without pressure for early mastery. All of the seeds planted in class will take root in time.
Parent Involvement
I am a parent myself and I am very inspired by parents who are actively involved in their children's lives. Yet in both my private classes and classroom teaching, I have observed that after the age of 3, children often learn less self-consciously when their parents are not present. I work to create a class dynamic in which all of the children feel important, noticed, and critical to the group. During the course of our time together, I hope the children and I will become a small community with rituals, songs, and jokes in common. Please plan (and prepare them) for a drop-off.
First Day Jitters
If children are nervous on the first day of class and parents want to stay for the initial circle, feel free to do so. After the initial circle, please be sure to say goodbye to your children (let them know where you will be and that you will be back shortly) and then slip out.
Separation Anxiety
While I very much prefer that this class be a drop-off situation, I am completely sympathetic to separation anxiety and am very glad to help children adapt as gradually and gently as possible. If your child exhibits signs of separation anxiety we will make exceptions for children in distress!
Timeliness
Please make every effort to drop off and pick up your child on time. Arriving on time will be essential to your child's feeling of inclusion. In particular, please be punctual in picking up your child from the class. Because my schedule is extremely tight (with back-to-back classes) and because I may need to pay for any extra time I remain in the facility, tardiness at pick-up time will cause me to incur significant financial damages. And as a result, repeated late pickups will result in a charge of $20 per minute late. In the event that some unforeseen emergency prevents you from picking up your child on time, please call me immediately at (215) 882-2458 to provide an update.
Physical Needs
Bathroom
Because I will not be able to leave the group unattended to accompany children on trips out of the childcare room to the bathroom, please make sure your children have used the bathroom before they arrive. For emergencies, I will have a small potty in the room. Additionally, please let me know if there are any potty training issues so that I can be sensitive to them and respond accordingly.
Note: For children still experiencing occasional incontinence please send along a change of clothes to class.
Snack
Please bring children to class after having a afternoon snack if that is typical for them. In light of the various allergies that other children may possess, for the safety and well-being of all please do not bring food into the class.
Payment
To officially secure your enrollment please make the first month's payment as soon as possible. Full payment (non-refundable) for the month must always be submitted by the first of the month. Please make checks payable to Janel Moses.
Note: Please review and sign the Terms & Conditions document and bring it with you to your first day of class.
Allergies/Medical, Emergency Forms, etc.
Please fill out allergy/medical and emergency forms and bring them on the first day of class. Each child needs an allergy/medical form, but only one emergency form per family is necessary.
Welcome
It is an honor for me to accompany your children at the beginning of their foray into the world of words. What a marvelous journey literacy is! I very much look forward to meeting you all, your children in particular. Please feel free to contact me at any time with questions, concerns, or feedback. I am always glad to improve my work with your children per your suggestions.
Your child's classes will be held in the child-safe, childcare room (well-stocked with toys) at the Reach Fitness gym Palo Alto at 707 High Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301 centrally located in downtown Palo Alto, around the corner from Whole Foods and Peet's (and not too far from Fraiche Frozen Yogurt!) I was referred to this convenient location by a member of the PAMP forum.
Parking
You will find street parking along High Street, and Reach Fitness has also, very kindly, allowed us to use their members-only parking lot for drop-off and pick-up.
The Magic Bag
Every class will feature a "magic bag" filled with objects and items that begin with the letter of the day. I often pick unexpected objects to help broaden the children's vocabulary. Before each class I will let you know the magic bag letter. The anticipation for this activity is a large part of the fun and helps children begin to think about letter sounds in an playful manner. If time allows, please engage your child briefly before class by telling him/her the letter of the day and asking him/her, "What do you think will be in the magic bag today?" Jokes are welcome. For example, if the letter of the day is B, ask your child, "Could a kangaroo be in the bag? Could a refrigerator be in the bag?" Your children may or may not be able to answer correctly. That is fine! Regardless of your child's response, laugh together about the possibilities.
Class Format
To help facilitate a focused yet relaxed classroom environment, I plan to structure the time in the following way:
- 10-15 minutes for a beginning circle. We will open the "magic bag," read a story or two that highlights the letter of the day, work on listening comprehension, story sequence, character motivation and elements of plot, talk about the letter's "voice" or "sound", and engage in music, movement, rhyming or rap designed to help the children internalize the sound of the letter. I will also occasionally present simple sight reading words during this time using puppets who constantly make mistakes! (Feeling comfortable with mistakes is an important part of the reading process.)
- 15-20 minutes for a concentrated project or activity with time for one-on-one interactions with me and each other. These activities will help children develop fine motor skills necessary for writing, engage directly with the shapes of the letters, etc.;
- 5-10 minutes for a closing circle, story, song.
Please, no pressure!
Even more than developing reading skills and tools for literacy, I plan to help the children build a life-long love of language and reading. They are still so young! I want the children to learn at their own pace, to feel free to make mistakes or offer incorrect answers. Their openness and sense of agency in the pre-literacy process is the key to our success! I have found that all children are very sensitive to external stresses about when they will begin to put sounds together or begin sight reading. This often creates unnecessary delays or power struggles. Please join me in allowing them to experience and acquire language skills without pressure for early mastery. All of the seeds planted in class will take root in time.
Parent Involvement
I am a parent myself and I am very inspired by parents who are actively involved in their children's lives. Yet in both my private classes and classroom teaching, I have observed that after the age of 3, children often learn less self-consciously when their parents are not present. I work to create a class dynamic in which all of the children feel important, noticed, and critical to the group. During the course of our time together, I hope the children and I will become a small community with rituals, songs, and jokes in common. Please plan (and prepare them) for a drop-off.
First Day Jitters
If children are nervous on the first day of class and parents want to stay for the initial circle, feel free to do so. After the initial circle, please be sure to say goodbye to your children (let them know where you will be and that you will be back shortly) and then slip out.
Separation Anxiety
While I very much prefer that this class be a drop-off situation, I am completely sympathetic to separation anxiety and am very glad to help children adapt as gradually and gently as possible. If your child exhibits signs of separation anxiety we will make exceptions for children in distress!
Timeliness
Please make every effort to drop off and pick up your child on time. Arriving on time will be essential to your child's feeling of inclusion. In particular, please be punctual in picking up your child from the class. Because my schedule is extremely tight (with back-to-back classes) and because I may need to pay for any extra time I remain in the facility, tardiness at pick-up time will cause me to incur significant financial damages. And as a result, repeated late pickups will result in a charge of $20 per minute late. In the event that some unforeseen emergency prevents you from picking up your child on time, please call me immediately at (215) 882-2458 to provide an update.
Physical Needs
Bathroom
Because I will not be able to leave the group unattended to accompany children on trips out of the childcare room to the bathroom, please make sure your children have used the bathroom before they arrive. For emergencies, I will have a small potty in the room. Additionally, please let me know if there are any potty training issues so that I can be sensitive to them and respond accordingly.
Note: For children still experiencing occasional incontinence please send along a change of clothes to class.
Snack
Please bring children to class after having a afternoon snack if that is typical for them. In light of the various allergies that other children may possess, for the safety and well-being of all please do not bring food into the class.
Payment
To officially secure your enrollment please make the first month's payment as soon as possible. Full payment (non-refundable) for the month must always be submitted by the first of the month. Please make checks payable to Janel Moses.
Note: Please review and sign the Terms & Conditions document and bring it with you to your first day of class.
Allergies/Medical, Emergency Forms, etc.
Please fill out allergy/medical and emergency forms and bring them on the first day of class. Each child needs an allergy/medical form, but only one emergency form per family is necessary.
Welcome
It is an honor for me to accompany your children at the beginning of their foray into the world of words. What a marvelous journey literacy is! I very much look forward to meeting you all, your children in particular. Please feel free to contact me at any time with questions, concerns, or feedback. I am always glad to improve my work with your children per your suggestions.